title: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in patients aged > or = 80 years: patterns of care and survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scarce data exist concerning the outcome of very elderly patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical files of 316 patients aged > or = 80 years with HNSCC who were included in the authors' hospital database between 1987 and 2006 were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 88% of patients received locoregional treatment, 31% of patients underwent surgery, and 57% of patients received definitive radiotherapy. The median disease-specific survival (DSS) was 21.3 months, and a plateau was observed after 5 years. The median overall survival (OS) was 13.0 months. Both the median DSS and the median OS were longer for patients with stage I/II HNSCC than for patients with stage III/IV HNSCC (median DSS, not reached vs 11.4 months; P < .001; median OS, 41.9 months vs 7.9 months; P < .001). On multivariate analysis, stage I/II disease, treatment with curative intent, and evidence of locoregional control were independent predictors of improved survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcome of patients with stage I/II HNSCC aged > or = 80 years was similar to that of younger patients, and the current results indicated that age should not be used to deny them optimal treatment. Elderly patients with stage III/IV HNSCC had poor survival. Geriatric tools should be used to identify elderly patients who are eligible for optimal locoregional treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Antoine-Lacassagne Center, Nice, France. italiano@unice.fr
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Italiano
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortholan
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dassonville
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poissonnet
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thariat
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benezery
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallicioni
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peyrade
authors.forename: Pierre-Yves
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Marcy
authors.forename: René-Jean
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bensadoun
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D005879:Tourette Syndrome